Is your oil tank ready for summer and beyond?
It might not have been the perfect summer so far and some of us seem to have had more than our fair share of rain. However, the heat and humidity have still been high enough to cause problems for your oil tank.
Whether you’ve stayed at home or you’ve been on holiday, your oil tank has probably been far from your mind over the last couple of months. Summer can often be a busy time for many of us. But, checking in on your oil tank now is a task that should be on your summer to-do list.
Making sure your tank is working well now might mean you won’t need to call out an engineer when the temperatures drop and you want to fire up your heating. Autumn is a busy time for oil tank engineers and you could be left with a long and chilly wait to get any issues fixed.
How summer causes problems for your oil tank
Heat and humidity cause condensation to build up in fuel storage tanks. This leads to corrosion, which causes damage and shortens the tank’s lifespan. A damaged tank is likely to leak oil, costing you time and money. In the worst-case scenario, your tank could leak oil that pollutes the environment. This means that you could face an eye-watering bill from the authorities.
Condensation build-up also causes bacteria to grow, which contaminates fuel and can cause problems with efficiency as well as damage to your entire heating system.
Considering the risks, it makes sense to identify and fix any issues now.
Checks for your tank this summer
Making sure that your tank is in tip-top condition is easy. We’ve put together a checklist of 3 simple tasks to complete this summer:
1 Fill your tank
Making sure that your tank is full of oil while the temperatures climb might not sound important. However, If you leave your tank level low in hotter weather, condensation will form in the gap between the fuel and the tank skin.
Fill your tank fully this summer to minimise the problems caused by condensation and benefit from lower summer fuel prices too. It’s a win-win!
2 Carry out a full tank inspection
The warmer months are the ideal time to carry out a full oil tank check. It’s a lot more comfortable for you than doing it in the cold and small maintenance tasks, such as painting, are easier in warmer temperatures.
Start by inspecting your tank for damage, check seals and caps and look for signs of leakage. Next, give your tank a protective coat of paint if necessary. Good quality oil tank paint keeps your tank looking good and protects it from rust. Browse our steel tank maintenance products to get started.
If you find damage to the tank’s skin, get an OFTEC registered professional to carry out the necessary repairs. There’s usually a longer wait to get an engineer out when the seasons change, so now is the time to act!
3 Do a security assessment
Do a quick security check. Oil isn’t cheap and oil theft is a growing problem. Take a look around the site of your tank – are there any areas that might give thieves easy access? Consider installing CCTV and security lights, tank locking caps and alarms.
The takeaway
Enjoy the rest of your summer, but do spare a thought for your oil tank! Unexpected leaks and system failures can cause havoc, and colder weather causes further problems when your tank should be working hard to keep you warm. A little maintenance now goes a long way to making sure that your tank performs well, lasts longer and works more efficiently.
